Just days before her appointment as Governor-General, Sam Mostyn took to the stage at the Forbes Australia Women’s Summit.
At the time, neither the audience nor the organisers knew what was about to unfold. Speaking in the final session of the day, Mostyn reflected on stepping into the unknown and encouraging others to take on roles they may not feel ready for and to trust the judgment of those who see their potential.
Three days later, she was named Australia’s Governor-General.
For Forbes Australia editor-in-chief Sarah O’Carroll, the moment has come to define the summit’s role, not just as a stage for high-profile speakers, but as a space where pivotal conversations happen in real time.
“It’s not just about the people who are on stage,” O’Carroll told Mediaweek. “It’s also about the women who are in the room.”
Governor-General, Sam Mostyn
More than a speaker series
Now in its third year locally, the Forbes Australia Women’s Summit will return to Sydney on May 6, bringing together leaders across business, media, technology and health under the theme Building What’s Next.
The line-up spans a mix of corporate leaders, cultural figures and entrepreneurs, including Asher Keddie, Gladys Berejiklian, Bruna Papandrea, Julie Inman Grant, Adam Brown and Nick Bell, alongside previously announced speakers such as Megan Gale, Geraldine Slattery, Satya Tammareddy and Kayla Itsines.
O’Carroll says the breadth of the speaker list reflects the summit’s broader intent, to bring together women shaping industries at scale.
“These women will take to the stage to address some of what they are building next, and look at some of the most pressing issues in their industries, but also highlight their greatest triumphs,” she said.
Sessions will cover topics including artificial intelligence, leadership, the changing workplace and women’s health, with a focus on both future-facing ideas and lived experience.
The room matters as much as the stage
While the speaker line-up anchors the program, O’Carroll places equal emphasis on the audience, a mix of investors, executives, founders and operators.
“We have everything from investors and VCs from the corporate world to entrepreneurs and business owners. It’s a really diverse crowd,” she said.
The value, she argues, lies in what happens beyond the formal sessions.
“These women connected, and relationships have been built on it. So people come away feeling more connected, more confident.”
That dynamic has been central to the summit’s evolution since its launch in Australia, following more than a decade of events in the US.
“The Summit has been running for about 14 years in the US, and this is our third summit here in Australia. And really, what it is, is bringing women from across the country together to celebrate the power that they hold in their various industries,” O’Carroll said.
Megan Gale
A platform for shared experience
A consistent theme across the summit is the willingness of speakers to move beyond surface-level success and share the realities behind it.
“These are women leading in their fields and serving on multiple boards, and they shared their vulnerability and explained how they got to where they are today,” O’Carroll said.
That openness is particularly relevant to the entrepreneurs and founders in the room, many of whom are navigating the early, often isolating stages of building a business.
“I don’t think anyone understands the lonely, extremely difficult role of an entrepreneur. You’re there on your own, but you really need a supportive team around you,” she said.
“We only ever read stories about when those entrepreneurs hit the big time or when their businesses become a ‘unicorn’, but we never hear about the years of hardship before that.”
For those attending, hearing those experiences firsthand can be as valuable as any formal panel.
“For a lot of the entrepreneurs and startups in the room, hearing those stories about what successful business leaders have gone through and how they overcame them really helps.”
The Forbes Australia Women’s Summit will be held at Ilumina, 1 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, with Commonwealth Private as the Platinum Partner and the Cartier Women’s Initiative as the Spotlight Partner.
Tickets are available via the Forbes Australia website.
Main image: Forbes Australia editor-in-chief Sarah O’Carroll